Systems and methods are known for providing remote monitoring of fire and security systems installed in commercial and residential buildings. Often, such remote monitoring systems include a workstation that allows a operator to monitor the status of a variety of “points” (e.g., smoke detectors, motion detectors, heat detectors) installed as part of a fire and/or security system network for an associated building. The workstation allows an operator to monitor the general status of the system, and to observe “events” associated with one or more points in the system. The changing of a smoke detector (i.e., a “point”) from a “normal” to a “fire” state is one example of an event in the system that can be monitored and acknowledged via such a workstation.
Various local governmental entities may require the points of a fire system to be tested periodically to ensure proper operation. Such testing may involve a workman performing a system walkthrough to manually configure each point into an alarm state (e.g., pressing a test button or otherwise manually alarming the point). Alarm signals are sent from each point via the network to a local system panel. The same alarm signals are also sent to the workstation node, where a user interface provides a visual display of the testing process, and where diagnostic programs can build a historical record of the testing of the system. As will be appreciated, such testing can uncover improper or abnormal operation of one or more points in the system. Subsequent repair or replacement of such improperly functioning points can then be accomplished. The compilation of a historical record of testing may be used to prove compliance with local jurisdictional requirements.
For obvious reasons, it desirable to perform such testing while the network is “live” (i.e., while the system is in operation). Where a workstation is monitoring a network with live points, the workstation typically issues audible and/or visual alerts to an operator to indicate alarm conditions occurring in portions of the system being tested. For example, an abnormal point state change can cause the workstation to annunciate its occurrence in sounds and graphics, in flashes, and in colors. This activity alerts the operator to take an action, and the workstation node accepts an operator action, as long as the operator is logged on with applicable permissions. Since the workstation may monitor a plurality of networks, and each network can include a multiplicity of points, a substantial number of events must be affirmatively acknowledged by the operator during test evolutions. As such, current test arrangements require a high degree of operator attention.
It would, therefore, be desirable to reduce or eliminate the operator burden associated with manually acknowledging individual events associated with system testing. It would also be desirable to compile a historical record of system testing to document compliance with local jurisdictional testing requirements.